When Does Surveillance Become An Invasion Of Privacy? Part Two

Author xlxmarketing
23.4.2008. | 15:47

The government will soon be able to read your mind. Government-paid researchers are working on technology now that will be able to read your brain waves telling them what you are thinking or if you have been up to no good. But will we care?

Click here to read about personal spy cameras and spy gadgets available now and things you can buy to keep your private life private in Part One of this two-part series.

In most people minds governments have never been as all pervasive and as Orwellian as they are today.

In Britain (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6108496.stm) in 2006, there was one surveillance camera to every 14 citizens, an astounding surveillance presence which far outstrips anything from anywhere else in Europe.

If people were worried about the privacy concerns thrown up by hidden spy cameras (also known as ‘nanny cams’) Just wait to see what the governments cooking up

While, for some, the idea of just being watched almost 24 hours a day is a scary concept they will not be at all happy with developments in the US where government-paid engineers are working on cameras with smart software that can work out what you are thinking.

According to the Washington Post (washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103296.html?nav=rss_print/outlook) US scientists and government agencies are researching mind reading software that measures people’s ECG and determines if they are nervous or not.

Spy gadgets like this mobile gps blocker will be no match against some of the government surveillance equipment already in use today.

The first level of artificially-intelligent surveillance camera software is already being used in places like John Hopkins University in Washington where a surveillance camera system, called “Perciptrak” it searches for suspicious activity, like people loitering around a restricted area, a group of people suddenly converging on an area or a person leaving a package unattended and it then alerts authorities about the activity,

While news of this technology is likely to make the average civil liberties group member turn pale will it actually have any effect on the averarge citizen?

Apparently not if you look at the acceptance rate of surveillance camera technology in Britain

When asked what crime-prevention methods they prefer police use most Britains put more police at the top of the list, followed by more surveillance cameras.

This sentiment was reflected by Americans, with three out of every four people approached in an ABC survey (abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=3422372&page=2) on whether or not America should adopt a similar surveillance camera system to Britain though it would be a good idea.

Regardless of your position on the ethics of the situation there’s a good chance you won’t be voicing your condemnation via the usual methods of the ballot box or the media

The makers of the technology to spy on somebody are usually the first ones to release products to get around the surveillance so perhaps it is best to leave it up to the democracy of capitalism to decide.

After all as long as information is out in the open and everyone has it will make it difficult to corrupt.